Gilbert SOETERS
(Municipality of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands)
Keywords: Town Hall, Film, Virtual Reality, Book
Abstract:
The Maastricht Town Hall was built in 1659-1664 in neo-classical Style by the Dutch architect Pieter Post. The two powers which ruled the city of Maastricht, the Prince-bishop of Liège and the Duke of Brabant, shared the building for their governmental and legal tasks. Nowadays the Mayor and her Executive Councillors have their offices in the building. The public is only allowed in the central hall, but the real historical treasures like tapestries, pictures and the beautiful room decorations remain unseen. And it’s also impossible to visit the hidden rooms in the cellar, the attic and the bell tower. Our main question was how to give the public access to this building and experience and explore the city hall like never before and how to give them adequate information on the proper level. We solved this by offering a threefold product: a short film for the right atmosphere with unique 3D images and fascinating close-ups, a virtual tour for the accessibility which will uncover unique places that you don’t get see on the live tours and a traditional book for all the detailed information, featuring beautiful, high-quality photography. The book also offers background information on the interior and the impact of the conservation work.
Relevance for the conference: The Maastricht Town Hall will be visualised in different ways and made accessible for the public
Relevance for the session: a combination of different techniques to inform the public about this piece of heritage
Innovation: combining traditional and innovative techniques to inform the public on a proper level